Spring suspension



Aug. 3 1926.

J KLEIN SPRING SUSPENSION Filed March 15, 1926 nl" de Patented Aug. 3, 1926.

UNETED Sflfi'Efi ttft'lhlhlwl @FFECQ JOHN KLEIN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSGNOR OF OE-I-IALF TO B. AGEE BOWLES, OF "WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SPRING SUSPENSION.

Application filed March 15, 1926.

'lhis invention relates to improvements in spring suspensions for vehicles and more especially to suspensions of this character for motor driven vehicles, whereby shocks and other abnormal stresses imparted to the equipped vehicle running gear will be directly transmitted to and ditl'used through the spring construction, thereby effeetually avoiding the rough jolting, jerking and rebounding of the vehicle body.

It is also an object ot' the invention to provide a spring' suspension of the character indicated, wherein the transmission of detriment-al stresses to the vehicle driving gear, caused by the traversing or' rough or uneven ways, will be reduced to minimum and hence, will eliminate, to a great extent, breakage or other damage of said driving gear or mechanism.

rIhe invention may be stated to provide, more specifically, a spring suspension including an arrangement of opposed semi-elliptical springs so relatively positioned as to cause the transmission or major stresses to the heavier ones thereo,-whereas the pailings of such stresses will be then transmitted to and diused through the lighter spring, rather than dir ctly to the vehicle chassis or body, the positioning of the lighter spring being such that it will counter, to a certain degree, the reverse flexing or rebound of the heavier spring and by consequence, eliminating the highly undesirable and Ofttimes dangerous rebounding of the equipped vehicle body.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and will be in part pointed out as this description proceeds on through the specification.

In order that the invention and its mode olf operation may be readily understood by those skilled iL the art, I have in the accompanying illustrative drawings and in the specification based thereupon, set outone possibleiembodiment of the invention.

In these drawings Figure l is a side elevation of the spring suspension as connected to one side of the chassis and driving gear of a motor driven vehicle,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same,

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l looking in the direction in which the arrows point, and

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section Serial No. 94,962.

taken on the line 4 4 of Figure l looking in the direction in which the arrows point.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, in connection with which like characters of reference will designate corresponding parts throughout, it may be stated that the improved spring suspension is especially adapted for usage in connection with vehicles oit the motor driven type, wherein such vehicles include a chassis, ragmentally illus-k trated and designated herein by the numeral ll and driving axles connected to differential gearing, all oi' which are housed in a casing designated in its entirety by the numeral 2; it being understood in this connection, that the driving axles 3 are extended through portions of said casing 2 in the manner indicated in the Figure l, whereby driving connection as between the same and the rear wheels 4: of the equipped vehicle, may be established.

The invention may be stated to' comprise relatively spaced pairs of springs, and for purpose of convenience, the description hereinafter contained, will ber directed to but one of the spring suspensions, that is, to but one of the spring suspension devicesrupon one side and rearward portion of the vehicle chassis l, it being understood that such description will suthce for both of such section devices. Accordingly, the spring sus'- pension device referred to, comprises an upwardly disposed semi-elliptical leaf spring indicated 4in its entirely by the numeral 4, said leaf spring extending longitudinally ot and substantially parallel with the rearward portion of the vehicle chassis 1 as is shawn in the Figure 2; the upturned forward or inner end of the spring being pivot-ally connected to abearing bolt 5to a laterally offset bearing` bracket 6, said bracket being formed upon its inner side with a substantially right angularly formed engaging or connecting arm r., braced at one of its angles by means of an integral web portion 8. The outer side of this .angular engaging arm 7 is adapted to be snugly engaged with an adjacent portion of the vehicle chassis l, in the manner indicated in the Figure 4, whereupon rivets, bolts or other suitable fastening devices generally designated by the numeral 9 are passed therethrough and anchored in adjacent portions of the chassis l, thus producing a `rigid and positive connection as between this bracket 6 and the chassis and therefor, affording a iirm and positive pivotal bearing for the forward or inner end of the upwardly disposed longitudinally ex tending semifelliptical spring' 4.

The intermediate portion of the semielliptical springt is irmly and rigidly secured to an adjacent portion of the housing 2 by means of an inverted U-shaped clamping bolt 10, the extremiti .ofi which,thatvw is, the opposite leg portions thereof, are passedl through complementally disposed, openings formed linthe adjacent: portion of said springA 4, whereupony a clamping. or locking plate 11 is engaged, with such. extremities and lockingnuts 12 then turninto. engagement with thescrew` threaded ends of. the opposite legs offzsaid clamping boltthus'7 effectually clampingly connectingfthe intermediate portion of^saidf spring 4 with'the housing;` 2.

Fromfthe description thusfar., it will. be. seen that a spring -connectionhas been established as between the forward uor .inner portion ofV the semi,-ellipticaly spring.; 4 .and the chassis 1 andthehousing 2 andthe driv-` ing axle To eifeclt a springconnection between the rearward portionof thesp'ring 4, the housing 2 andthe rearwardzend ofthe. chassis 1,- a lighter andl shorter semii-elliptical spring 13 ispi0vided,this spring being so arranged that its opposite end-portions or;

extremities are downwardly disposed while the intermediate iportionthereofis pivotally connected.; to the adjacenty .endiandi side por.- tion ofthe chassis .1 through the Vmedium of substantially Ushaped clamping. bo1ts14 embracingly engaging'such intermediatepor-l tion thereof landghaving'ya clamping plate 15 V engaged over-.the opposite side and-intermediate portion o f the spring 13 whereupon` locking nuts 15 areengaged with the ex-y tremities of saidibolts;the'basal portions: ofy the bolts being e engaged ,i overy the. extremities of a pivotal ybearing .sleeve 17; receivedupon a pivot bolt 18 extending outwardly and laterally from an angle ysecuring bracket 19,. whichbracket snugly engages the adjacent outer side ofthe chassis 1 in the manner as` indicated `in the Figure 3, whereupona connection therebetween is efectedztlirough the. medium of rivets, bolts or other suitable fastening devicesI generally designated.l by the numeral 20. Thus. it will-.be appreciated that a pivotal connection asbetweenthe intermedi ate portion .of the. shorter. semi-elliptical vspring 13` .andfthe vchassis 1l will beeffected. Y

The outer, or rearwardfend of the shorter semi-elliptical spring 13 is. pivotally-V yengaged. by` one side ofan ordinary shackle connecf tion 211,y the opposite v"side of which isI con nected lto lthe adjacent and :rearward 'exterm-.f ity of-gthe;` main' semi`elliptical` I` springQ 4,: whereas thel forti/ard 011i innei, end oflthe shorterH semi-elliptical.,spring .18 is, pivotally connected through a shackle connection 22 to an adj acent portion off the casing 2, in the manner as indica-ted at 23. Thus, it is apparent that a spring connection is. established asy between thehousing2,the rearward por* tion of the main spring 4 and the rearward end oft-the chassis 1, this being through the auxiliary qor secondary spring 13.

In4 operation; of my improved spring sus pension device, with the imparting of jolts or other abnormal-.stresses to the vehicle running. gear, caused by the traversing of rough or uneven `ways' such` abnormal stresses will be first directed to themainspring4 wherein? they wi1l=1be partially diffused or absorbed` while the'pailings of such stresses will be then. transmittedftov the shorter. and lighter auxiliary semieliptical. spring 13, through which they will be evenly diifusledl so that: their transmission to the chassis 1 willi be avoided'ininany instances. and. even in the most, exaggerated instances ywil'lbe` reduced to minimum. By reason ofthefactthatthe main spring 4 and the, auxiliary spring 13 are arranged in oppositely .disposedrelatiouship, thatis, themain spring4 has .its opposite extremitiesv extending. upwardly whereas auxiliary spring 12B-has. its oppo.- site extremity extending downwardly, it will be appreciated .that with the .transmission of stress. ork other abnormal `conditions tosaid main spring 4, vigorousrefiexing or rebounding of said :main spring 4 willzbe countered by reasonof the connectionof the auxiliary spring-` 18.thereto and by consequence, the transmissionof abrupt and ofttimes accentua atedy 3 and. 1 dangerous rebound to the vehicle bodyarranged upon; thechassis, 1 will be prevented. Likewise, becausehof. the .manner in which theabnormal stresses imparted to the vehicle running geary ,are transmitted to. and diifusegthrough thesprings4 and 13, it will `be ,appreciatedfby ,workers skilled'. in theart that. such stresses will beminimized sothat when reaching the driving gear housed. in the :casing` 2, the, damaging or detrimentaleffects thereof-will be avoided.

l\4a.nifestly, the .construction .shown is ca-y pable of considerable modification, and suchl modification asis. withinthe scope ofmy claims, I consider within the spirit of myin vention..` v

I claim 1. A spring suspension. for vehicles come prising in'combination wi'thia vehicle..cl1as sis and driving gearingcasinga longitudinally disposed:` and.; upwardly extending semi-elliptical.springmeans, means for se,- curing thel intermediate portion, of said means to a portion of the driving gearcasing andthe forwardy end of .saidmeans being pivotallyV connected to .a .portion fof thelchassisa lighter. and shorterspringv means dis.- posed Lcoincidentally with the first spring means, thel outer endof the second ysprinlgr Cil means being pivotally connected to the adjacent end of said iirst spring means, and the inner end of said second spring means being pivotally connected to a portion of the driving gear casing, and means for pivotally securing the intermediate portion of said second spring means to the adjacent rearward p-:rtion oit' the chassis.

2. A spring suspension for vehicles oomprising in combination with a vehicle chassis and driving gear casing, a longitudinally disposed and upwardly extending semi-elliptical spring, means for securing the intei-mediate portion of said spring to a portion of the driving casing, the forward end or' said spring being pivotally connected to an adjacent portion or' the chassis, a slighter and shorter semi-elliptical spring disposed coincidentally with the irst spring and having its opposite extremities extended downwardly and opposed to the adjacent portion of the first spring, the outer end of said second spring being pivotally connected to the adjacent end of said first spring and the inner end of said second spring being pivotally connected to the driving gear casing, and means for pivotally connecting the intermediate portion of said second spring to the adjacent and yrearward portion of the chassis.

3. A spring suspension for vehicles, comprising in combination with the vehicle chassisl and driving gear casing, apair of relatively opposed longitudinally extending semi-elliptical springs, the lowermost of said springs being of greater length and size than the upper of the springs, the intermediate portion of said lower spring being fiXedly connected to a portion of the driving gear casing7 means -for pivotallj7 connecting the inner end of said lower spring to a portion of the vehicle chassis, a pivotal connection between the outer and opposed ends of said upper andl lower springs, means for pivotally connecting the inner end of said upper spring to a portion or the driving gear casing, and a bracket connection for pivotally securing and mounting the intermediate portion of said Vupper spring upon the adjacent rearward portion of the chassis.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN KLEIN. 

